Downdraft continuous kiln.



F. 0. SHAW.

DOWN DRAFT CONTINUOUS KlLN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I, I912. 1,140,719. Patented May 25, 1915.

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, v Frances am F. D. SHAW.

DOWN DRAFT CONTINUOUS KILN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1, 1912.

1, 140,7 1 9". Patented May 25, 1915.

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F. D. SHAW.

DOWN DRAFT CONTINUOUS KILN. APPLlcAflou FILED MAY 1, 1912.

1,140,719. Patented May 25,1915.

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w h! MIJM lllMlm h MUM ALLLOPHQt/J FRANCES ID. SHAW, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS.

nownnnnrr con'rmuous KILN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Application filed May l, 1912. Serial No. 694,551.

To all whom; it may concern k Be it known that I, FRANCES D. SHAW, acitizen of the United States, residing at v Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented certain'new and usefulImprovements in Downdraft Continuous Kilns, of which the following is afull,

clear, concise, and exact description, referthat the burning gases areprojected against the articles to be burned in the kiln with as littleloss of heat as possible, and the gases thus projected into the kiln aredistributed over a large area, so that their efiect may be asefiicientas, possible and at the same time overheating of the articles in thekiln may be avoided. By my invention I also provide a construction bywhich the joints between the cars passing through the kiln and the wallsof the kiln are more effectively sealed than heretofore and, in additionto this, by my construction improved sealing devices are providedbetween the ends of the cars so that the joints between them areeffectively'sealed to prevent the escape of the hot gases through saidjoints.

My invention also relates to a novel construction of outlet flue fromthe kiln b which the stack is disposed over a section 0 the kiln withwhich the stack is not in any way in communication.

The several draw ngs illustrating my invention are as follows:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically in plan view the arrangement of myimproved kiln construction. Fig. 2 shows in vertical sectional view,taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1, a portion of the delivery end of thekiln. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the kiln taken throughthe heating chamber, such view being taken along the line 3--3 in Fig. 5and showing the construction of fuel burners employed. Fig. 4 is a sideelevation ofa portion of the burning chamber of the kiln. Fig. 5 is avertical sectional view of the burnig chamber of the kiln taken alongthe line 5-5 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6

is a detail View showing the means employed to seal the openings betweenthe ends of the cars. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the means employedto seal the joints between the cars and the'walls of the kiln.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Fig. 1, the kiln 1 consists essentlally of along tunnel-likeconstruction of masonry, lined with fire brick to withstand the highheat to which it must be sub ected, which is provided at the lefthandend with a gate 2 and at the righthand end with a gate 3 to close theends of the kiln while articles to be burned are passed therethrough bythe operation of the cable 4 surrounding sheaths 5' and 6. The sheath 5is driven by a shaft 7 through 00- operating gears 8 and 9 by means ofan engine 10; The burning gases introduced into the kiln in a manner tobe described pass therefrom under the damper 11 and out of the kilnthrough a stack 12.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the substructure of the kiln consists of anumber of masonry piers 13 upon which are supported channel beams 14, sodisposed that their flanges extend upwardly to receive and support, thebrickwork 15 forming the side walls of the kiln.. The kiln is inclosedat its top by means of an arch 16, in which are located, at intervals,fuel burners 17 designed to burn liquid fuel andso located that the heatresulting from their operation is projected downward upon the brick 18or thereby through the burning chamber of the kiln. Fuel oil is suppliedto the burner 17, by a pipe 20, through a valve 21, and in the burneritself a needle valve controlled by the handle 22 is provided, so thatthe flow of fuel may be regulated to exactly the amount required for thedesired conditions of operation of the kiln. ,The shell of the burner 17surrounding the fuel noz- 219 is supplied with steam by a pipe 23 whichis controlled by a valve 24, so that the amount of fuel and theintensity of blast may be regulated as desired. The fuel pipe 20 and thesteam pipe 23 are connected with supply pipes 25 and 26, respectively,which extend longitudinally along the outside of the kiln. Burners 17are distributed over the entire burning section 'or combustion chamberof the kiln and near enough together so that the intensity of thecombusother articles carried by cars 19 and moved 30 so as to nearly,but not quite, engage the tion at any one burner need not be so great asto excessively heat the articles 18 passing through the kiln.Furthermore, the adjustment of the burners may be graded so that forconditions requiring a great amount of heat at one portion of theburning chamber than is required at another portion, this effect mayreadily be secured.

A great advantage secured by placing the burners in the arch 16, so thatthey project the burning gases downward, is that the hot gases areprojected downwardly between the piles of brick carried by the cars 19and, thus, the lowermost brick are burned at the same time that theburning action is begun in connection with the top brick upon the cars.Kiln flues 27 extend through the side walls of the kiln to prevent thebrickwork being overheated in a manner to discars 19. These cars run ontracks 32 supported by the masonry piers 13, over a well or pit 33provided for ready access to the under side of the cars if repairs areneeded or to adjust the cable driving mechanism. "The bottoms of thecars are extended as shown at 34 under the inwardly extending edges ofthe inner channel beams 14, and angle bars 35 are used to relnforce andsecure the parts in the, position indicated. The angle bars 35 carryupon their upper surfaces, as indicated more clearly in Fig. 7,

tubular sealing members 36 which may c0n-' sist of canvas hose or anysimilar material that is sufliciently resilient to yield upon engagmgthe under surface of the channel beams 14 so as to prevent cold airfrom.

rushing into the combustion chamber from the pit 33. Each car carries acam mechanism 37, operated by a lever 38, for engaging the driving cable4 to clamp it between the cam 37 and the bracket 39 rigidly' mountedupon-the under side of the car so that the ears may bedrawn througlfthe.

kiln. Each car is provided at its end, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6,with a downwardlv projecting flap 40 of sealing material, which issufliciently resilient so as-to be slightly compressed when engaged bythe projecting plate 41 extending from the under side of the oppositeend of the adjacent car. Fabric as canvas may be employed for the flaps40 and, as a result of the construction described, when the. cars arebrought sufiicientlyclose together so that they constitute a train formoving the articles through the kiln, the flaps40 are engaged by theplates 41 and pressed upward against the under side of the car. bottomsin the position indicated in Fig. 2.

The section of the kiln between its delivery end and the end of theburning chamber adjacent thereto is built up of solid brickwork, asindicated at 42 in Fig. 2, said brickwork being supported by acontinuation of the arch 16. -At a point near the delivery end of thekiln, but somewhat removed therefrom, the arch 16 is interrupted and adelivery flue 43 is formed through it, which extends upward and thenhorizontally through the damper 11 over the arch 16 extending from theflue 43 to the delivery end 45 of the kiln. The flue 43 terminatesbeneath the stack 12,'as a result of which the products of combustionmay pass freely through the flue 43 overthe' end of the arch 16 and upthrough the stack 46 when the damper 44 is raised. The construc: tion,however, is such that any solid particles carried up with the gasesdischarged through the flue 43, together with any foreign matter whichmay be thrown into the stack 46 from the outside do not drop I upon thecars or their contents, but, on the other hand, are deposited upon thetop of the arch 16 from which they may be removed when the kiln iscleaned. The damper 11 is supported in end guides 47 and provided withhousing cables or similar devices 48, extending from the damper 11 to adrum 49 mounted on a shaft 50, which shaft is supported in'bearings 51and rotated byvmeans of a crank 52. A pawl 53 engages a ratchet wheel-54 formed on the drum 49,.so as to hold the damper inany position towhich it may be moved.

While I have shown my invention inth particular embodiment hereindescribed, I do not, however, limit myself to its construction, as I mayemploy equivalent arrange ments without departing from thespirit of myinvention.

What I claim is: 1. In a continuous kiln, the combination of a masonrytunnel, cars for closing the bottom of the tunnel, ledges projectinginward from the side wallsof the tunnel into rabbets formed in'thecars'to receive the same, projecting flangesextending from the carsbelow the side walls of the tunnel, and resilient sealing devicesbetween and the bottom of said sidewalls.

2. In a continuous kiln, the combination of a masonry tunnel, cars forclosing the lit the flanges 5 bottomof the tunnel, the side walls of thetunnel and the edges of the cars-being conformed to cooperate to form abroken sur-. face to prevent the ready passage of gases therethrough,and resilient sealing devices betweenthe cars and the side walls of'thetunnel along the lower portion of the broken surfaces.

3. As a means for sealing the bottom of a continuous kiln, a pluralityof cars for carrying articles to be burned through the kiln, a flap ofresilient material extending downward transversely of the car at one endof each of said cars, and a plate carried by the other end of each ofsaid cars for engaging one of said flaps to press it between the plateand the bottom of the car to which it is secured.

4. As a means for sealing the bottom of a continuous kiln, a pluralityof cars having 15 their sides of irregular conformation to cooperatewith similar irregularities formed in the kiln, and resilient sealingmaterial carried by the sides of the cars near the bottoms thereof forengaging the bottom por- 20 tion of the kiln.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of March,1912.

FRANCES D. SHAW. Witnesses:

LEONARD W. NovANDER, ALBERT C. BELL.

